Head-rest.



No. 838,299. PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

' A. w. BROWNE.

HEAD REST.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

lamb Mom rERs cm, v/Asumm'cm, n, c.

TED STATES ARTHUR l/V.

PATENT OFFICE.

S. S. WHITE DENTAL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

HEAD-REST.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed November 18. 1905. Serial No. 287,920.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ARTHUR W. BROWNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Prince. Bay, in the county of Richmond and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Head- Rests; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to head-rests for chairs, particularly dental chairs; and it consists in a certain improvement, hereinafter fully described and claimed, applicable to that class of head-rests comprising a pair of pads and designed to more or less automatically conform to and support the head of a person seated in the chair to which the head-rest is attached.

The object of my invention is to simplify and perfect the self-conforming function of head-rests of this class. This object is attained by so constructing a head-rest that its pair of pads are capable of being freely swung together or in unison about a horizontal axis substantially in a line with the front and rear of the chair and also capable of being rocked independently of each other about axes disposed substantially at right angles to and in the same horizontal plane as the axis about which the pads swing in unison, the movements of the pads being confined to the directions herein mentioned.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating a suitable embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a view in rear elevation of the headrest, with a portion in central vertical section, on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a view of said head-rest in side elevation.

The improved head-rest comprises a pair of similar'pads A A, each centrally pivoted to a carrier B, adapted to extend crosswise of the chair and pivoted at its opposite ends to a supporting-bar C, connected to the chair-back by a suitable supporting-arm. The carrier B is capable of freely swinging in a line with the front and rear of the chair about a horizontal axis, formed in this instance by the pivots I) I), thus providing for the pair of pads moving in unison in this direction, while the pivotal connections between said pads and carrier permit of their independent rocking movement in a line substantially at a right angle to the swinging movement of the carrier.

vention herein indicated the pads are pivoted at a upon the outer extremity of posts B B, extending from the carrier Bythe axes of these pivotal connections being substantially in the same plane as the horizontal axis about which the carrier swings, said carrier and its supporting-bar being correspondingly bent, curved, or bowed topermit of this arrangement.

Any suitable supportingarm or other means of adjustably supporting the headrest may be employed. The one illustrated in the drawings comprises a vertically-adjustable and extensible arm consisting of a lower section D, having vertically-sliding connection with a chair-back, and an upper section or rod E, having vertically-sliding or extensible connection with the lower section. A two-part clamp F, clamp-screw G, and nut G, having a handle G serve to lock the upper section to the lower section, while a screw H serves to clamp the lower section to the chair-back.

At times it is desirable to move the headrest laterally, and as the form of supportingarm shown does not afford this movement the same may be accomplished by providing a laterally-adjustable connection between the head-rest and its supporting-arm. Such a connection may consist of a split clamp I, carried by the upper section E of the supporting-arm, the jaws i of said clamp engaging a horizontal guide 0 on the under side of the supporting-bar C. A screw J and nut K, having a handle K, serve to clamp the headrest in position.

A dentists arm-rest may be used, if desired, the same consisting of a pad L, swiveled upon a rod M, detachably fitting ina socket of the supporting-bar C.

When the head-rest is in use, the supporting-arm is first adjusted to properly locate or position the head-rest as a whole, after which the pressure of the patients head upon E the pads will cause them to automatically assume posit-ions for best supporting it. In l other words, after the supporting-arm has 1 been suitably adjusted and clamped the supporting-bar C is rigidly held in position; but

In the particular embodiment of my in- I the pairlof pads: arefree to swing'in unison rearwardly or forwardly until the carrier B is in a position to meet the directline of pressure of the patients'head, and the pads 5iwillzindependently= adjust themselves to lateral or turning movement of the patients head until direct lateral pressure is met.

The pads will maintain these positions and resist pressure upon them as long asvsuch [0 pressure continues; but the instant the patient desires to place his'head in a new positiongthe pads promptly readjust themselves and: again meet all direct pressure. The imrproved "r-head --rest 1 'thus' comfortably" con- 15 forms to and supports the patientshead in Ptheunost advantageous positions, readily accn-mmod'atingitself to changes inposition, allrautomatically andwithout' any attention from the dentist except the initi al positionzoi v:ing bf 'the head rest as awhole by adj ustment of "the supp orting-arrn.

I claim asmyinvention- 13in ahead-rest for: chairs ,the combinationof a pair ofpads, means for supporting 25 the same, means for permitting said :pads to Dbe" freely swunginunison about ahorizontal axis in a line substantially with the front and 4 "rear-6f theYohair, and means for permitting "'s'aidpads to be rockedindependen'tly of each 3 0 other; 1 about" aXesdisposed "substantially at --'ri'ghtangles to-xand in the same horizontal r'plane as the aXis about which the pads swing "in 'unison; *the :movements of the pads being confined to the directions herein mentioned. i 231113, head-rest for chairs; thecombinaiztionof a supporting-bana support "for the same, acarrier pivoted at itsopposite ends to said supporting-bar so" as to freely swing substantially in a line With the front and rearof the chair, and a pair of padspivoted tosaid carrier and capable of freely rocking independently of each other transversely to the swinging movement of said carrier.

3 In a head-rest for chairs, the combination of a supporting-bar, a support for the same, a carrier pivoted to said supportingbar, so as to freely swing, a pair of pads pivoted to said carrier, the pivotal connections same, a bent, curved or bowed carrier pivoted at *its opposite ends -tosaid supportingbarso as to i're'elyswing, postsrising from near the opposite ends of said carrier, and a pad pivoted to each post, the pair ofpads being thus capable of'fre'ely rocking independently of each other transversely-t0 the swing ing movement of "saidcarrier, the 'pivotal connections between said pads and posts being in "substantially the same plane as with the pivotal connections between said carrier and supporting-bar.

In testimony'whereof I- aflixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR BROWN E.

" Witnesses:

SEYMOUR CASE, M. DERIC'KSON. 

